Metal and Dust
by CassidysPersona
Summary: Andromeda has been allowed to visit Sirius at his home, she sees he's in need of some tough love and a listening ear.


**A/N: So I've no clue where this came from but I got the writing bug for Harry Potter. Just something that came in my head today and I've written it a bit meh but ah well. Enjoy! Merry Christmas**

As Harry walked down the stairs of 12 Grimmauld Place he walked into the kitchen where he found two unfamiliar faces one was stood by the stove and the other was using her wand to carefully lay the table. Plates laid perfectly without a single noise whilst cutlery laid itself in the correct places knowing who used what hand to use with knives and forks, the wine glasses beside water glasses Harry stood amazed.

"Harry dear come help with the laundry won't you?" Molly asked kindly as she walked up behind him, "dinner won't be ready for another fifteen minutes," Molly then looked at the table it was neat and tidy. Even the smell of stale wine and whisky weren't even present, the table sparkled, "Andromeda dear I'll be with Harry and the others...I could send Ginny to lend a hand."

"Why me? Why not Fred or George?" Ginny asked sounding annoyed, "they're not doing anything."

"If I send your brothers they'll cause more mayhem than help," Molly answered giving Ginny no choice but to help.

"Tonks was going to-"

"Tonks is supposed to be helping with cleaning now in now!" Molly signalled for Harry to follow her leaving Ginny to glare at her mother until she was out of sight.

"Was that Andromeda as in Sirius's cousin?" Harry asked. He knew Sirius had a cousin called Andromeda as he had described her as his favourite cousin, then again from what he described of Bellatrix and from he knew of Lucius, Draco and what he saw of Narcissa at the Quidditch World Cup he wanted to see what Andromeda was like. Then again if Tonks was anything to go by then he didn't feel so nervous.

"Yes dear...you have nothing to worry about she's lovely," Molly reassured Harry not that he had told her she was worried but she could sense from the time of his voice that he was a bit wary, "just don't be alarmed if she and Tonks start arguing they are alike in some ways they know what buttons to press. Take this dear," Molly piled a load of clean sheets into Harry's arms, "now, sooner we get these beds changed the quicker I can help with dinner."

...

Andromeda found her cousin sat at the dinner table she had been looking for him. Tonks had said he was drinking rather a lot especially when everyone had gone to bed he'd sneak into the kitchen and drink at least half a bottle of Firewhiskey, Andromeda hadn't seen him since an article that announced his imprisonment and even then she hadn't really seen him since she eloped from the family at eighteen and even then Sirius had been twelve in his first year at Hogwarts. Andromeda always knew Sirius was different even as a small child Sirius rebelled against his status asserting himself as an individual but also showing a sensitive side but it had been Andromeda and their Uncle Alphard who never tried to squash that out of him. Sometimes she looked at him and she remembered the curly-haired little boy who would sit on her lap and request she tell him a story. Whilst Bellatrix would scoff and tell her off for babying him, his mother her aunt was a rather scary woman and frequently noticed every single act of mischief she'd threaten him with curses and force him to his room where he would hide under his bed crying. Andromeda would coax him out with the promise of a cuddle. Where they would sit on his bed she'd dry his tears and let him lean into her. It was her and Narcissa that had a maternal side and it showed even as children. Sirius was different now he was clearly in a state of depression and whilst Dumbledore allowed her to visit him there was no way he would be allowed out to visit them, "Dinner will be ready in ten minutes," Molly announced making Sirius jump he saw from the corner of his eye Andromeda and he turned his head to her. Andromeda walked towards him and gave him a kiss on top of the head then squeezed his shoulder.

"I don't think you need this," Andromeda spoke softly as she picked up the glass filled with whiskey then the bottle, "you don't fill up on alcohol you need proper food."

"Give it back," Sirius growled much like a dog under threat. Andromeda raised an eyebrow much like she did when he and his brother were children, it worked on them back then as both knew it made her look like her older sister and with that eyebrow raise Sirius laughed in her face, "that doesn't work on me anymore Andromeda I'll give anything to face her-"

"Face who?" Ted asked as he entered the kitchen. With that response, Andromeda folded her arms, "'Dromeda?" Ted questioned his wife.

"Give me it back!" Sirius slammed his fist on the table standing up, his face white and his body shaking, "you don't get to tell me what to do, I'm not a child."

"Then let me finish," Andromeda scolded. That shut him up Sirius closed his mouth and leant his hand on the chair, "if you go after Bellatrix you're the one who would end up dead. I won't let that happen I left you when you were twelve I haven't seen you until now but I'm not going to let you die because your ego is bigger than your rational thinking. Regulus got in too far and died please think about your actions Sirius," Andromeda stepped forward and Sirius sat back down the whites of his eyes turning red, "your name will be cleared...you won't be stuck here forever," Andromeda noticed tears escape his grey eyes, "oh Sirius," Andromeda knelt down slightly putting her hand to his tear stained face, "it will be ok," she wiped his tears away then smiled, "dry your eyes and splash your face everyone will be down soon."

"'Dromeda," Sirius slipped out the name he had used for her as a child, "thank you."

...

Andromeda finished charming the cleaning items and noticed that Sirius was still sat at the table. Hearing that Harry was going back to Hogwarts really had added to the state he was in, Andromeda really wished she had come and seen him sooner maybe even hidden him in her home even if she had known he had escaped his family home, but she had been long gone and in some ways she felt guilty she left Sirius to the likes of Bellatrix but she hadn't rubbed off on him, not like Regulus. In some ways she wished she had been there for Regulus even more than Sirius, Sirius could handle his own but Regulus was the one who needed guidance and he had been left to Bellatrix and Narcissa even Andromeda knew Narcissa wasn't capable of being a Death Eater she was too little miss perfect and motherly to join them properly she preferred being the perfect wife but would happily watch on whilst the Muggle-borns and half-blood were wiped off.

Andromeda knew he had snuck back the alcohol and with a heavy sigh she walked over to him, "Sirius come on," Andromeda tapped his shoulder and he looked up at her with sad eyes, "everyone's gone to bed or home I think you need to too."

"I is fine," Sirius slurred his body feeling light he picked up the Whiskey bottle and gave a small laugh as he filled the glass right to the top.

"No!" Andromeda scolded him like he was a small child. Sirius's eyes widened when she snatched the glass off him, "no, I will not let you do this."

"Don't you pour that down the drain!" Sirius shouted waking up the portrait of Phineas Nigellus in the kitchen, "I need it."

"No Sirius you don't, what you want is company and because others go home or go to bed you are left with a bottle. Come on Sirius you know better than this," Andromeda could see he really didn't want it, if he was desperate he'd have grabbed the glass back but she could sense in some ways he wanted her to do it. Pour it down the drain and throw the bottle away, "go upstairs Sirius, please. Just don't wake anyone up."

"How are you coping being here? Doesn't it...remind you...of..." Sirius trailed off leaving Andromeda to answer.

"I didn't live here permanently did I?" Andromeda reminded her cousin, "if the shoe was on the other foot," Andromeda gripped hold of the sink as she leant against it, "who knows Sirius...but all I know is, is that Uncle Orion's charms and other spells he cast on this place this place is safer than the house I grew up in. Bed now, just because you're an adult I'm still six years older than you."

"Andromeda," Sirius called, "why do you care?" he waited as his cousin folded her arms, "you left, you left and didn't write, you just vanished. Why now?"

"As I never took you and Regulus with me and I wish I did, as maybe you'd both be free and safe...I'm sorry Sirius."


End file.
